Aviva Premiership: Northampton Saints 15-14 Bath Rugby

George North was denied a try by the TMO in the first half of an end-to-end match

Northampton Saints snatched a 15-14 victory over Bath to keep their Aviva Premiership top six hopes alive on Saturday at Franklin's Gardens.

Mike Haywood's 72nd minute score helped keep Northampton's season intact, inflicting another match to forget for Mike Ford's off-colour Bath side.

Bath stormed into a 14-0 lead at the break through long-range efforts from winger Jeff Williams.

It took Northampton 56 minutes to get themselves on the scoreboard through Teimana Harrison's try but it proved to be one-way traffic from that point on as a Myler penalty and a further try from Haywood snatched the victory. 

The loss compounded a difficult season for Bath as they failed to build upon last season's Premiership final appearance

Saints had their first foray into the Bath 22 seven minutes into the game, Myler turning down the chance of three points to go for the jugular. However, the gamble failed to pay off for the home side when the lineout went astray. 

However, it was Bath that got the first points on the board when Williams pounced on a piece of indecision from full-back Harry Mallinder after a fine chip through from centre Jonathan Joseph to cross for the try, with Priestland adding the extras.

Bath looked to be over again just moments later with a flowing backs' move reminiscent of their dazzling form from last season, but the TMO denied the away side for a forward pass.

The end-to-end nature of the match continued as Northampton went close through Teimana Harrison, but scrappy play within the Bath danger zone allowed Williams to race 90 metres for his second try of the match.

Teimana Harrison was a stand out player for the home side in a scrappy first half

As the game entered the second quarter, Saints continued to dominate the territory but failed to make it pay. 

Northampton's inability to get points on the board continued two minutes before the break when George North was denied an effort by the TMO, adjudging Mallinder's final pass as forward to leave the score at 0-14 at the break. 

Bath scrum-half Chris Cook was shown a yellow card on 48 minutes for kicking the ball out of the hands of his opposite number giving the Saints prime field position five metres out, but Bath's defence survived two rolling mauls before earning themselves the turnover. 

The home side's standout player, Harrison, soon got his just rewards on 56th minutes, crossing in the corner but Myler was unable to add the extras, pushing the conversion wide.

Will Homer went close for Bath with a chip and chase but the bounce of the ball denied his Bath side

But Myler clawed a further three points back as the game entered the final quarter, taking the scoreboard to 8-14. 

Williams went close to his hat-trick after a break and kick from replacement scrum-half Will Homer, however the bounce evaded the winger before replacement fly-half George Ford sent a penalty attempt wide. 

The Northampton faithful thought their side had crossed for another try when Tom Wood rolled his way over but the flanker was held up by Homer, although the home side awarded a consolation penalty for offside.

The Saints refused to give up on the game and they struck from the driving maul with Haywood crashing his way over, Myler's conversion sending his side ahead for the first time and sealing the 15-14 victory for Mallinder's side.